Peer-to-peer trading platform

ABSTRACT

A computer-implemented method and system is disclosed in which a network-based interaction environment includes a plurality of peer-to-peer nodes being able to communicate directly with each other using a peer-to-peer protocol and a peer-to-peer client application, and a first peer-to-peer client application to maintain persistent item information on at least one peer-to-peer node of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes, the persistent information being related to an item being offered by a first user of the first peer-to-peer client application.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/743,466, filed Mar. 13, 2006,and entitled, “PEER-TO-PEER TRADING PLATFORM”, which application isincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

This disclosure relates to methods and systems supporting onlineconsumer interactions by a user in a networked system.

2. Related Art

Conventional network-based marketplaces (e.g. consumer websites) provideusers with functionality to browse a collection of items (e.g. goods orservices) at a website and to make purchases using a variety of means.Centralized e-commerce over the web solves the problem of reaching thelargest possible market; but, this centralized model is not appropriatefor all kinds of items and services. The centralized model may also havetrust and safety problems; because, buyers and sellers are connectedbased purely on the basis of price and features of the item being sold.Reviews, feedback ratings and other mechanisms attempt to solve thisproblem; but do not provide a traceable path of referrals between twoparties who wish to trade.

The architecture of web based e-commerce is based on a web browser thathas very little ability to store state locally and a centralized website that holds all the information. This limits the user experience tothe confines of a web page, and results in latency when viewinginformation that has to be downloaded from the web on each click. Theweb site itself has scalability issues and may slow down at times ofhigh traffic. The web site may also have availability issues; becausethe web site must be running at all times to provide the service.

The prevailing model for e-commerce is that the seller is offering itemsfor sale to anyone with a verifiable ability to pay. However, there areclasses of items, such as family heirlooms, where the seller would liketo constrain the scope of the sale to family members (or other definedgroup), and select the most deserving recipient rather than the highestoffer for an item. Another example is a charity auction inside acompany, where individuals offer items such as lunch with topexecutives, a ride in the CEO's aircraft, etc. and want to have eachindividual manage bidding on their items while constraining the entireauction to be only visible to co-workers.

It would be advantageous to support e-commerce on conventionalpeer-to-peer (P2P) networks. However, conventional P2P networks do notcurrently adequately support e-commerce models. For example, there arecurrently no P2P message exchange protocols that are efficient, secure,reliable for C2C/C2B (consumer-to-consumer/consumer-to-business) anddesigned for multi-channel communication networks that exploit bothTCP/IP internet and VOIP-like networks. Historically, development of B2B(business-to-business) messaging protocols have taken place withdifferent problems drivers and user community requirements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments illustrated by way of example and not limitation in thefigures of the accompanying drawings, in which:

An architectural overview of an example embodiment of a peer-to-peer(P2P) platform client is shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example architecture of a system supporting roles,according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example architecture of a system supporting rolesin an enterprise setting, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 4 illustrates an item listing process from the seller perspective,according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 5 illustrates a list item event flow, according to an exampleembodiment.

FIG. 6 illustrates an item search/retrieval process from the buyerperspective, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 7 illustrates a search item event flow, according to an exampleembodiment.

FIG. 8 illustrates a view item event flow, according to an exampleembodiment.

FIG. 9 illustrates an interconnectivity diagram showing the connectionsbetween functional components of an implementation, according to anexample embodiment.

FIG. 10 illustrates a peer-to-peer trading platform plug-in that mayreplace a central e-commerce browser, according to an exampleembodiment.

FIG. 11 illustrates a P2P trading platform message exchange protocol,according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 12 illustrates a messaging stack, according to an exampleembodiment.

FIG. 13 illustrates a message format, according to an exampleembodiment.

FIGS. 14-25 illustrate various user interface screen snapshots,according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 26 shows a diagrammatic representation of machine in the exampleform of a computer system within which a set of instructions, forcausing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein, may be executed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerousspecific details are set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding of an embodiment of the present invention. It will beevident, however, to one skilled in the art that embodiments may bepracticed without these specific details.

Below are described various aspects of a peer-to-peer (or distributed)computing system that may be utilised for the communication of data.Aspects of the example peer-to-peer (P2P) system may include thefollowing functional components. A system architecture of an example P2Ptrading platform for a client system is illustrated in FIG. 1.

P2P Marketplace Platform

In an example embodiment, P2P clients may be used for e-commerce andtrading. The system may thus reduce the dependency on browsers for suchfunctions, and enable search independent of a central search server.

Secure P2P Message Exchange Protocol for Trading Service Networks

Example message exchange protocols and communication model for a P2Pmarketplace are described herein.

Secure Transaction Model for Distributed P2P Commerce usingPresence-Aware Protocols

The following example security and trust and safety (TnS) features for aP2P marketplace are described herein:

-   -   1. Item certification when a seller wants to make an item        available for sale in the P2P trading community.    -   2. User authentication services during the process of the sale        of an item.    -   3. Provide mechanisms for buyer and seller to provide feedback        on the transaction.        P2P Search with Caching

The following example search features are described herein:

Search on encrypted items. These items may also be certified.

-   -   1. Transmission of results encrypted. Only the finder may be        able to decrypt the results of his search.    -   2. Privacy: a finder's identity may be hidden from other P2P        clients as it performs a search. The items searched may also be        hidden when searched via a third party node. For example, A        searches and gets to node C through node B. The results of the        search may be cached in A and B but encrypted.    -   3. Mechanisms to limit the number of found items, the used        bandwidth and central processing unit (CPU) cycles.    -   4. Mechanisms for cache management: when a finder performs a        search his results may be cached so that his “buddies” can        search the cached results. The time to live (TTL) of a search or        items may be managed as well as the cache size.    -   5. Search on items with attributes as opposed to files and in        which there is no download following the search.    -   6. The search relies on the buddy lists up to a certain number        of hops.    -   7. Inclusion of particular hosts or other peers by default in        the buddy list. This may be hidden from the actual buddy.    -   8. Caching of searches that are reused by others        Roles Based Transactions

Example embodiments, as described herein, may enable teens andenterprises to perform e-commerce. Several players may be involved in atransaction besides the buyer and seller.

Relative Reputation Based Item Search and Buddy Rating

In an example embodiment, a reputation of another node may be relativeto its position in a social network. A “relative reputation” may beestablished as a function of, for example, an absolute reputation (e.g.eBay feedback score); buddy connection paths that exist between the twonodes; and the opinions that exist on each step on the connection path.

Franchise Model

As an example P2P trading community grows, an entity may want tofranchise the TnS service to other companies. A franchise may offer thesame services as the TnS service described above, since a franchisingentity may maintain control over the P2P application, the compliance,revocation and control any exercised from the application.

P2P networks lack the central site that arbitrates disputes, establishestrust where commercial transactions can take place, and polices badbehavior. In fact, most if not all P2P networks host activities thatcontain elements of illegality.

As described herein, a P2P marketplace host can introduce the necessarytrust so that commercial transactions can happen in a P2P network. Thesolution in itself can limit users with a plug-in that only enablescertification and authentication of users and items through the P2Pmarketplace host.

A P2P marketplace host can franchise the certification andauthentication service it provides to items and users to 3^(rd) parties(e.g. Amazon, Google). These 3^(rd) parties would not certify P2Pmarketplace host users or P2P marketplace host items but rather theirown users and items. They would however use the P2P marketplace hostprotocols and message formats as defined by the P2P marketplace host sothat the same plug-in can be used regardless of who establishes thetrust in a transaction.

P2P Marketplace Platform

The P2P network, according to an example embodiment, consists of “P2Pnodes” rather than “web clients” and “web servers.” A P2P node mayoperate both a provider and consumer of services, so it is both theclient for some operations and the server for other operations. A systemarchitecture of an example P2P trading platform for a P2P node system isillustrated in FIG. 1.

P2P networks have existed for a while and have been used mostly toexchange files. They do not need the support of a central server or needto rely on a browser or HTTP. The P2P nodes connect to each otherdirectly using a P2P protocol. A P2P network may be based oncommunication between its members, where each member has a buddy list ofother members that is used to constrain and route communications. Thisform of P2P network implements a social networking model that may beused to enhance e-commerce and other network-based interactions

In an example embodiment, a large scale P2P network may employ anexisting communication based P2P network (e.g., Skype) to enable onlinee-commerce. Such a network may rely on the P2P node to perform certainfunctions of online transactions, for example:

-   -   a. Create items and services that are offered for sale,        including optional constraints on who can see and who can make        offers on the items and services.    -   b. Search for and select an item for purchase, again using        optional constraints on which you choose to send the search to.    -   c. Support a variety of deal making mechanisms, negotiation of        terms and facilitate an agreement    -   d. Facilitate payment and delivery or interface to existing        financial mechanisms (e.g., PayPal).

The P2P client application, according to an example embodiment shown inFIG. 1, may maintain persistent state that includes items that are beingoffered by that client, and items that are the results of previoussearches. Operations on these cached items may not involve any networktraffic so the scalability, availability and response time problems ofcentralized web based e-commerce may not apply. New and updated itemsmay be passed between nodes at any time, and popular items may be cachedthroughout the P2P network, which prevents the network connection of anyone node from being overloaded.

In a peer-to-peer network, the network connection may be shared by chat,voice traffic, and file transfers that the peer-to-peer clientapplication supports. Because the e-commerce traffic is also passingthrough the peer-to-peer client application, the peer-to-peer clientapplications may be configured to prioritize and control bandwidth. Forexample when a voice call starts, the peer-to-peer client applicationmay slow down file transfer and e-commerce traffic to maintain callquality. If a web browser was being used to view content from ane-commerce web server at the same time as a voice call (perhaps todiscuss what to buy), the two applications may contend for bandwidth,reducing voice quality and giving a slow e-commerce experience. In anexample embodiment, items of interest may be cached already, and theuser interface is a local application rather than a web site, so morebandwidth is available for a voice call and the buying experience is notimpacted.

The search function, in an example embodiment, is performed by queryingbuddies (e.g., people that a user already knows) and asking these“buddies” to search items from their buddies. Several possible query anditem message routing policies may be used depending upon user preferenceand the level of trust that exists between two nodes. For example:

-   -   a. In one case, searches only reach an immediate buddy list, and        the buddies only return items that they are offering themselves.    -   b. If a node decides that it trusts items from a buddy, and        wants to share the item with third parties, then a response to a        received query can include a selection of all items that have        been cached at that node. In this way, popular items from        trusted sources may preferentially migrate throughout the P2P        e-commerce network. In this case, a query may result in an item        that is being offered by a node that is not in your buddy list.        Attempts by the buying node to contact the selling node may be        at the discretion of the seller to accept, and can lead to a        transient or permanent buddy connection between the two parties.    -   c. If a node decides that it trust queries from a buddy, and        wants to share the query with third parties then queries may be        cacheable and persistent items, so that duplicate query loops        may be identified as they flow from node to node through the        social network. A short query lifetime (e.g., time to live) and        a hop count limit may be used to help constrain searches.    -   d. If a user cannot find an item but wishes to make it known        that he or she was looking for something, then a search query        may be made persistent with a longer lifespan and may be        propagate further through the peer-to-peer network. This feature        may be used to support “I Want” or “Want it now” functionality        and may also be surfaced differently in the user interface so        that sellers can see demand and add new items to meet the        demand. In this case, the seller may attempt to contact a buyer        directly and this connection is at the discretion of the buyer        to accept if they are not already buddies.    -   e. Connections can, in various example embodiments, be made        directly as described above, or indirectly via a routing        protocol. In this case messages could be exchanged between nodes        that are not buddies as long as the intermediate nodes are        willing to cooperate.

Payment may occur using any online service payment (e.g., PayPal), itcan also be integrated into a peer-to-peer (e.g., the Skype) paymentsystem that may be optimized for making small payments such as perminute call rates (e.g. for SkypeOut service). For trading with nodesthat are not trusted members of the immediate buddy list, support for anescrow based payment system may be integrated into the P2P e-commercenode application.

In centralized web based e-commerce, the central site provides a defacto trust and safety service. For example, users go to eBay, Amazonetc. because the users trust these sites and they have established astrong brand reputation. The P2P client (e.g., e-commerce nodeapplication) that is used for online e-commerce transactions may alsoaccess a trusted site that authenticates the parties and certifies theitems involved at the appropriate times of the commercial onlinetransaction. In this way, a P2P marketplace is created that has the samelistings rules for permitted items on a trusted marketplace (e.g., eBay,Yahoo!, Amazon.com or Google). An example additional benefit is that ifan item does not sell on the P2P network, it may be converted andmigrated to a conventional marketplace (e.g., eBay) listing for accessto a wider audience. This follows an example case of wishing to offeritems and services to friends and family on favorable terms, thenselling unwanted items on the open market, but not wishing to repeat thework involved in generating a listing.

In an example embodiment, if a user is an existing seller on ane-commerce web site (e.g., eBay), then the user's own social network maynot be aware of the items that that the user has available on the openmarket. The P2P e-commerce node application may, in one exampleembodiment, also connect to a central e-commerce web site, using an APIcall, for the purposes of downloading item descriptions and convertingthem into a format that can be shared in the P2P e-commerce network. Ina further example embodiment, a central e-commerce site (e.g., eBay) mayconnect its own sellers to the P2P network by having the sellers link apay peer-to-peer user name (e.g., Skype name) to a marketplace name(e.g., eBay name), then hosting a link to the P2P network within eBay'sown datacenter infrastructure. This example feature allows P2P powersellers to host items on a highly available high bandwidth platform,rather than on their own computer systems, and to maintainsynchronization between marketplace items (e.g., listed via a centralserver) and the same items listed in the P2P network. If an item sellsin one marketplace, the item can be removed from the other marketplacesand the P2P network automatically. One example benefit of listing itemsin the P2P network (e.g., marketplace), as well as on the openmarketplace server, is that a seller can reach buyers who only use theP2P network. Another is that buyer-seller social relationships canpotentially drive repeat business better than in an open marketplace.

Social networks may need to overcome a boot-strapping problem. A newuser of a P2P e-commerce tool may not have any other users in theirbuddy list. An example embodiment provides a mechanism to connectisolated nodes and isolated clusters of nodes into larger clusters withbroader availability of items. The example embodiment provides a centralreferral service where selling nodes can advertise themselves as beingprepared to accept connections from anyone meeting some specified,published criteria or conditions. This supports the ability for sellersto register keywords that represent their items, e.g. “Skype headset”,and also provides an advertising revenue model based on buying keywordsto direct a larger proportion of referrals to a specific seller. If theseller establishes themselves as a trusted buddy of the buying nodetaking the referral, the seller becomes part of the social network ofthat buyer, and has further selling opportunities.

In an example embodiment, a reputation of another node may be relativeto its position in a social network. A “relative reputation” may beestablished as a function of, for example, an absolute reputation (e.g.eBay feedback score); buddy connection paths that exist between the twonodes; and the opinions that exist on each step on the connection path.Opinions may be based, for example, on completed transactions and mayalso be category specific. For example, the relative reputation of anode may vary depending upon whether the item being considered is a car,a game or a service.

E-commerce web sites may require that buyers and sellers are of legalage and have good credit. Nodes in a P2P network may not necessarilyhave this restriction, and many teenagers or users in developing nationsare able to use peer-to-peer services (e.g. Skype), but are not able toregister for established services (e.g., those offered by eBay orPayPal). In an example embodiment, a P2P e-commerce platform provides analternative mechanism for these communities to trade. However, membersof the communities may not be able to enter into a legally bindingcontract (e.g. because of underage issues) and have no access to apayments system. A system of roles can be established that allows asingle established account (e.g., an eBay and PayPal account) to beassociated with one peer-to-peer network account (e.g., a Skype account)that acts as a controlling authorizer for transactions. Additionalpeer-to-peer network accounts can be added with restricted roles. Forexample a child role may be added by the authorizer, and the child maylist items for sale and select items to buy using their own peer-to-peernetwork name, but the responsible adult authorizer is automaticallyincluded in the transaction at the point of contractual commitment andpayment.

Secure P2P Message Exchange Protocol for Trading Service Networks

According to an example embodiment, there is provided a run-timeapplication hosting model and application-to-application messagingprotocol to deploy buyer, seller, search application services thatenable buyers and sellers to conduct secure, peer-to-peer tradingtransactions over multi-channel communication networks such thatmarketplaces act as security, registration, and/or TnS service providersfor a community of buyers and sellers.

An example embodiment provides a P2P business services platform whichhas built-in connectivity and communication services with multipletrading participants (e.g., eBay, PayPal, Skype and possibly otherentities such as buyer and seller agents).

An example embodiment provides a P2P message exchange protocol thatenables communication between trading services hosted at end-usermachines (e.g. home computer, laptop, PDA, small-office, enterpriseservers). These trading services may act as local services for a buyeror a seller and be controllable and consumable by end user buyer/sellerinteractive applications (e.g., such as a P2P Trading Toolbar).

An example embodiment provides a P2P message exchange protocol that isefficient, secure, and reliable for C2C/C2B(consumer-to-consumer/consumer-to-business) and designed formulti-channel communication networks that exploit both TCP/IP internetand VOIP-like networks.

An example embodiment employs a standard XML schema (e.g., the eBL (eBayBusiness Language) Schema Model) for describing Interfaces for P2PTrading Services.

An example embodiment exploits peer-to-peer data channels (e.g., SkypeData channels), which are extended to support SOAP messaging channels.Asynchronous messaging, in an example embodiment, is used for sendingand receiving application messages for buyer, seller, search services,exception. Host Document-centric application services may be deployed,in an example embodiment, at peer-to-peer end-points to develop P2P SOAPFramework.

A P2P Trading Protocol, according to an example embodiment, isencapsulated/integrated into an XML-based presence protocol (e.g., SkypeClient Plug-in or similar XML-based presence protocol), so as to enabledeployment of document-oriented services that can send and receive avariety of different messages for trading use cases (e.g., buyer,seller, and search). Such a run-time environment may enable deploymentof P2P Trading Platform which posts a variety of peer services. Theseservices are materialized or rendered into interactive applications(e.g., a toolbar).

Secure Transaction Model for Distributed P2P Commerce usingPresence-Aware Protocols

An example embodiment seeks to enable P2P e-commerce between sellers whocan list items that are stored on their local computers and networkaccessible devices (e.g., PDAs, wireless/mobile systems) and buyers whocan search and buy items only when sellers become available, present,and connected on a P2P network which poses multiple security, privacy,distributed trust model and registration challenges.

An example embodiment includes a distributed, P2P marketplace where itemlistings are on local seller machines and may require item listingcertification and item life-cycle management process such that, forexample:

-   -   a. A seller may be verified as an authenticated item listing        party;    -   b. A trading community may be protected from being flooded with        inappropriate items; for example, by enforcing that sellers only        list items that do not violate any legal/regulatory, business        and community policy standpoint.    -   c. Buyers who search for items listed in the P2P community        network may be protected from downloading viruses and other        harmful executable code (e.g., by blocking Javascript, ActiveX        scripts embedded in item data).    -   d. Buyers are provided some level of trust that sellers are        trust worthy and vice-versa; and    -   e. Items listed may be de-listed (e.g., if the seller is known        to be bad seller, if seller needs to be suspended or, if item is        already purchased and sellers needs to be blocked from        re-listing items that have been checked-out and paid for by a        buyer; or, if item is found out to be a bad item after it was        listed).

An example embodiment includes a distributed, P2P marketplace wheresellers and buyers communicate over a multi-media communication network(e.g., VOIP-like communication medium provided by Skype) which leveragesan on-line presence protocol (e.g., to inform the trading communitywhether a buyer or seller is available or not by modifying the icondepending on whether you are at the keyboard or away). Authenticatedapplication-level connections may be provided between buyers and sellerswho exchange searching and buying messages.

According to an example embodiment, a distributed, P2P marketplace wheresellers and buyers communicate over a multi-media communication networkwhich leverages an on-line presence protocol (to inform the tradingcommunity whether a buyer or seller is available or not) may require themessage payload is protected while in transit between buyer and sellerover the P2P network.

In an example embodiment, an e-marketplace operator hosts a P2P ItemListing Certificate service that leverages trust and safety (TnS),Security, and Registration functions available in a trustede-marketplace. Hence, the role of the e-marketplace may be to provideTnS, Security, and Registration services, for example, to buyers andsellers during an item listing process, a post-item listing process, andan item check-out process.

TnS/Security/Registration Services

-   The e-marketplace services provided may include:    -   a. Item certification when a seller wants to make an item        available for sale in the P2P trading community.    -   b. User authentication services during the process of the sale        of an item.    -   c. Provide mechanisms for buyer and seller to provide feedback        on the transaction

E-marketplace Interfaces: Buyers and Sellers may, in various exampleembodiments, communicate with the e-marketplace over XML/HTTPS, WebServices SOAP APIs or equivalent protocols. These marketplace interfacesmay be integrated into the peer-to-peer client application (e.g., aPlug-in that supports a P2P Trading Services Platform). The P2P Tradingservices Platform may provide built-in application-to-application secureconnectivity and communication services with multiple tradingfacilitators (e.g., eBay, PayPal, and Skype).

Multi-community Registration Links Users may be associated withcommunities (e.g., Skype/eBay/PayPal Communities).

Automatic, Asynchronous Post-backs to Seller's P2P Platform. In oneexample embodiment, functionality is provided to eliminate or disablelistings (e.g., de-list items) of sellers who have been suspended. In anexample embodiment, this may be achieved using a post-back mechanismfrom a server-based e-marketplace (e.g., eBay) to a peer-to-peer clientto update status of an item. An Item_Status_Update service may beexposed in a P2P Trading Platform (e.g., implemented utilizingpeer-to-peer clients, or a plug-in to such clients) in support for a P2Pcrawler to eliminate listings in the cloud upon member suspension.

The previous item may require that, as soon as a seller's presence isknown to the e-marketplace, (e.g., as soon as the seller is availableon-line), the e-marketplace operator needs to send any critical businessevents to that seller. For example, this may be supported by anautomatic, asynchronous message: “Hello Marketplace, I am on-line”transmitted to the e-marketplace when the P2P Trading Platform (e.g.,implemented utilizing peer-to-peer clients or plug-ins to such clients)is initialized as part of the start-up process of seller's machine orother communication device. This initial “authenticate_me” messageresults in the e-marketplace first authenticating the seller or buyerwho is connecting into the P2P trading network, and the issuance fromthe e-marketplace of a success or denied synchronous response. Thee-marketplace may respond asynchronously with any business criticalevents that were waiting in a queue for that seller. This may beimplemented as a generalized communication model to provide feedback formany different types of business critical events that require immediatepost-back when a trading party makes itself available over a P2P TradingNetwork.

Item end actions are need, in an example embodiment, to end bids andinform bidders. This type of action may need to be incorporated into thecrawler or implement a different type of crawler.

Support for Safer items off-e-marketplace in the P2P Trading Network.The beginning and end of transactions will, in the example embodiment,be locked down. TnS may check item at listing-time and at selling-timeand possibly update items between listing and selling time. TnS checksand item certification may be asynchronous. Items may be available (forsearch/bidding) on seller site on a P2P network, according to exampleembodiment, but a peer-to-peer item DB may be maintained ate-marketplace (e.g., eBay) which may still the searchable index and rawitem data (e.g., in XML format). This database will, in an exampleembodiment, have a log of all the items of what was authorized andcertified by the e-marketplace. The e-marketplace operator can runagainst the item database required TnS and security check. This willallow the e-marketplace operator to de-list the seller, for example ifthe seller is found later to be involved in any disqualifyingactivities.

Encrypted Items and Controlled Item Access. Items not being in acentralized marketplace (e.g., eBay) may require encryption of theitems. Because someone could try to hack a peer-to-peer commerce clientor get illegal access, it may be advantageous to prevent illegal accessor crawling of seller's item listing. To protect such hackings orillegal P2P searches, item listings may be encrypted when listed on aseller P2P platform. Items listed in a seller P2P platform may beencrypted using public encryption certificate, thus allowing a seller tocontrol who will have access to the item via a search request.

In an example embodiment, signed items listed and certified may containtwo signatures: (1) signature of the seller who is listing the item andwho has been verified by a trusted entity (e.g., an e-marketplaceoperator, such as eBay Inc.) to be a registered seller; and, (2)signature of the e-marketplace over to indicate that item is certifiedby the trusted entity (e.g., an e-marketplace operator, such as eBayInc.) to be a legitimate item available for P2P trading. The seller'ssignature operates to bind the item to that seller.

In one embodiment, buyer information is used (e.g., to show userID) todetect shill bidding when buyers contact sellers.

EXAMPLE PROTOCOL DEFINITION (e.g. OCCAM) FOR SECURE TRANSACTION MODEL --P2PLINK protocol definition using Occam-pi language CHAN TYPE P2PLINK: -- forward declaration to allow protocol to carry its own channel typePROTOCOL SKYPE.P2P CASE -- chat protocol  namedrop; INT; INT; SHAREDP2PLINK!; [8]BYTE  -- fromid; toid; respchan; another skypename --seller side protocol elements  about.me; INT; INT; SHARED P2PLINK!;INT::[ ]BYTE  -- fromid; toid; respchan; description  inventory; INT;INT; SHARED P2PLINK!; INT; INT; INT::[ ]INT  -- searchid; ebayid;itemcount::itemids  description; INT; INT; SHARED P2PLINK!; INT; INT;INT; INT; INT::[ ]BYTE  -- searchid; ebayid; itemid; pennies;description  reject; INT; INT; SHARED P2PLINK!; INT; INT; INT  --searchid; itemid; bidid  accept; INT; INT; SHARED P2PLINK!; INT; INT;INT; INT  -- searchid; itemid; bidid; hold.until  ship; INT; INT; SHAREDP2PLINK!; INT; INT; INT; INT  -- searchid; itemid; bidid; trackid invoice; INT; INT; SHARED P2PLINK!; INT; INT; INT; INT; INT  --searchid; itemid; bidid; invoiceid; invoice  receipt; INT; INT; SHAREDP2PLINK!; INT; INT; INT; INT; BOOL  -- searchid; itemid; bidid;invoiceid; paid  completed; INT; INT; SHARED P2PLINK!; INT; INT; INT  --f; t; r; s; i; b  abandoned; INT; INT; SHARED P2PLINK!; INT; INT; INT -- f; t; r; s; i; b -- buyer side protocol elements  query; INT; INT;SHARED P2PLINK!; INT; [12]BYTE  -- fromid; toid; respchan; searchid;keyword  get.item; INT; INT; SHARED P2PLINK!; INT; INT  -- searchid;itemid  bid; INT; INT; SHARED P2PLINK!; INT; INT; INT; INT  -- searchid;itemid; bidid; pennies  confirm; INT; INT; SHARED P2PLINK!; INT; INT;INT  -- searchid; itemid; bidid  unconfirmed; INT; INT; SHARED P2PLINK!;INT; INT; INT  -- searchid; itemid; bidid  inquiry; INT; INT; SHAREDP2PLINK!; INT; INT; INT  -- searchid; itemid; bidid  arrived; INT; INT;SHARED P2PLINK!; INT; INT; INT; INT  -- searchid; itemid; bidid; trackid payment; INT; INT; SHARED P2PLINK!; INT; INT; INT; INT; INT  -- f; t;r; s; i; b; invoiceid; payment  dispute; INT; INT; SHARED P2PLINK!; INT;INT; INT -- f; t; r; s; i; b : CHAN TYPE P2PLINK  MOBILE RECORD  CHANSKYPE.P2P c?: -- shared writer, single readerSearching in the P2P e-Commerce System

A description of the example search functionality in an embodiment ofthe P2P e-commerce system is provided below.

In a traditional centralized model (e.g., eBay Marketplace), the indexof the available items is maintained in a centralized server system. Aprospective buyer searching for an item launches a search from a browserand the search keywords are matched against the indices of the items inthe database that is published into by the sellers. The centralizedserver system provides reliability, integrity, and security for thedata. It ensures that the indices are secure and the transportation ofthe search query and returned search results are secure.

When commerce takes place over a Peer-to-Peer network, the issuesrelated to search may be quite different. Example differences with thetraditional centralized model are described herein.

Distributed vs. Centralized: There may be no “centralized server”. Thedevices/computers that each of the ‘nodes’ in the system act asparticipating servers in the overall network. Dynamically, some of thesedevices may be upgraded to be a ‘supernode’ that caches or serves updata.

Reliability: In an example embodiment, because there is no clearcentralized server system, the reliability of the network itself is notguaranteed. Peers might come and go away between searches. As a result,the results returned may vary when the same search is performed atdifferent times.

Trust Level: The searches launched are not against a centralized serverbut over the network. Because, based upon the groups different actorsbelong to, the search path may cross nodes or actors who are fullytrusted, partially trusted, or not trusted at all.

Synchronous vs. Asynchronous: Searches in a P2P network may not beblocked (aka rpc) and need not be deterministic. This means thatdepending on the freshness of the cache, and how far and wide the searchis launched in the network, not all results may be returned. Also,depending on the path the search takes, different sets of results may bereturned when launched from different nodes, or when launched atdifferent times.

In an example embodiment, peer-to-peer clients can list items for salein the system (e.g., the peer-to-peer trading platform). The items may,in one example embodiment, be listed to be visible at various circles offamiliarity or trust. For example, items may be listed to be sold onlyto buddies, or buddies of buddies, and so on, or for anyone using thesystem. Listed items may have information like title, subtitle, detaileddescription, representative keywords, attribute-value pairs, categoryinformation besides information about availability, duration, and price,merely for example.

A peer searching for an item, in an example embodiment, searches througha client interface that allows just typing in keywords or advancedsearch with AND, OR connectors over keywords and/or attribute values.

In addition to the above mentioned search criteria, functionality may beprovided to restrict/filter searches as follows:

-   -   Search for only items that are certified (e.g., if it is        possible to list non-certified items) by some central body or        trusted entity (e.g., eBay).    -   Search scope (e.g., the list or circle of peers over which to        search, the minimal qualification in terms of reputation of the        peers to search, etc.)    -   Category (e.g., the categories under which the items listed are        to be searched in)    -   Price range of the items    -   Explicitly included or excluded peers selling the items    -   Item location    -   Ending time    -   Trust level (e.g., a search may be filtered to include only        items offered (or stored) by buddies where relative trust        exceeds a predetermined threshold).

Search messages and result messages may be delivered over a secureencrypted P2P communication platform. This avoids snooping on the P2Ptraffic itself by adversaries.

Because P2P networks can be potentially large, for P2P searches to beefficient searches, search results may need to be cached at variousnodes in the network. P2P searches may afford caching because peeravailability is not mandatory, search typically is streaming orasynchronous, and search results need not be deterministic or complete.Also, conceptually a P2P network is ‘infinite’, search queries may havea time-to-live (TTL) and the reachability of nodes and finiteness ofsearch results may be controlled in this manner.

Caching

Caching may, in an example embodiment, be implemented in two ways:

-   -   1. Caching as a part of routing: When searches are launched over        the network, intermediate nodes may implicitly cache the results        of a search that is returned through them to the requesting        peer. This caching decision may be based on the criticality of        the node being in the path of the search and the popularity of        the search query itself, merely for example. Other criteria like        node or path reliability or availability, cache reuse, etc. may        be used to determine how much, where, and how long such a cache        is to be maintained.    -   2. Caching based on past searches: In a simple multi-level buddy        system, past queries and search results may be cached in a peer        who makes the search request. When a new request for a        similar/same search comes to/through that peer, the cache is        first looked at for its freshness and returned. It is possible        also that the cached results are returned for immediacy while        the search continues. The cache is updated with new data when it        becomes available and the newer results are returned to the        requesting peer.        Indexing

Listed items for sale may be indexed for search efficiency as can be thecase with caching. Searchable and cached items are, in an exampleembodiment, indexed and a search query is a look up against the cacheindex. The indices may be search engine indices with a facility to goback to the original document to reconstruct exact details.

Encryption

Given that a P2P network may be large and searches launched pass throughbuddies, trusted peers, and unknown peers, encryption and access controlof both searchable items and search requests may be utilized to providesecurity within a P2P network. While a peer might host or cache a set ofdata that serves as a part of the search results for another peer onhis/her own machine, it is not possible, in one example embodiment, forthe peer to look into either the search string or the result set that iscached on that machine. At the same time, the peer who requested thesearch can recover the query and the search result. Several levels ofsecurity may be provided. Also, encryption may be combined with indexingto combine efficiency with information hiding.

Example embodiments include:

-   -   1. Listings (indexed or otherwise) may be encrypted by combining        with generated ciphers on a per-peer basis. Search may be        allowed on the encrypted data by creating additional ciphers on        a per document, per category, per peer or per peer-group basis,        for example.    -   2. For the case where a peer acts as a mere cache resource (and        does not participate in a search), hidden searches may be        supported. This means that search words are pre-encrypted and        then stream encrypted to ensure that the search is hidden.        Encryption schemes that can recover original strings back are        required to enable the searching client to display may be the        contents of the searched item.        Indices can be encrypted in a manner similar to actual data.        Decrypting and retrieval happen in a 2-way round trip, once to        get the encryption of the index, and once to get the encryption        of the data.        Advanced Queries

Boolean, proximity, and phrase queries may be easily generated. Morecomplex queries may explode the query space but the above describedsystem may be implemented, in an example embodiment, by repeatedlygenerating ciphers of the simple components of the queries.

Role Based e-Commerce

Centralized e-commerce marketplaces (e.g., E-commerce web sites such aseBay.com) may require that the buyers and sellers are of legal ageand/or have good credit. Nodes in a P2P network may not have thisrestriction, and many teenagers or users in developing nations are ableto use peer-to-peer services (e.g., Skype) but are not able to registerat certain sites and services (e.g., eBay and PayPal). The P2Pe-commerce platform, in one example embodiment, provides an alternativemechanism for these communities to trade but they may not be able toenter into a legally binding contract and have no direct access to apayments system.

Consider that ecommerce transactions on many centralized e-commercemarketplaces are a binding contract. As a result only adults are allowedto transact on such marketplaces. Further, the ecommerce model of abuyer and a seller is not well suited for enterprise trading where thereare multiple approvers and the requester, salesperson, purchasingdepartment, shipping and receiving are all separate entities. Anotherexample may happen in complex financial transactions such as escrowwhere there are multiple payers or multiple parties that receiveportions of the payment (e.g. house sales). The above described factorsmay have the effect of limiting the market of potential buyers andsellers, and slows adoption of e-commerce by the next generation ofteenagers.

An example embodiment described herein associates roles to individualsinvolved in a transaction. Example embodiments are equally applicable toa centralized e-commerce site (e.g., eBay) and a social network basedP2P marketplace.

The case of minors is described below and illustrated, by way ofexample, in FIG. 2:

-   -   1. In one example embodiment, a system of roles is established        that allows a single account established with a trusted entity        (e.g., an eBay and PayPal account) to be associated with one        peer-to-peer account on a peer-to-peer marketplace or service        may be (e.g., a Skype account) that acts as a controlling        authorizer for transactions. Additional peer-to-peer accounts        can be added with restricted roles. For example a minor child        role may be added by the authorizer, and the child may list        items for sale and select items to buy using their own        peer-to-peer user name, but the responsible adult authorizer        would automatically be included in the transaction at the point        of contractual commitment and payment.    -   2. In another embodiment, adult authorizers have trusted        accounts (e.g., eBay accounts) and minor roles have “lite”        accounts. A lite account may be associated with a peer-to-peer        (e.g., Skype) account. An individual may have multiple lite        accounts. These accounts are linked to regular trusted accounts.        A minor with a lite account can search and browse as        non-registered users can. When the minor wants to make a        purchase/submit a bid, the request for such an action goes to        the owner of the trusted account, who can either reject the        action, approve it and send it back to the minor to perform it        or directly perform it.    -   3. Approvals may be transparent to the adult in the sense that        the adult (e.g., a parent) can pre-authorize expenses within        specified constraints. For example, in a certain category, up to        a certain amount and/or by given date. In this case the amount        approved may be put in escrow.    -   4. The owner of the trusted account (e.g., the eBay or PayPal        account) may be liable for the actions of the entire group of        subsidiary roles and may be billed for the expenses incurred. In        the event of actions that lead to account suspension by any        member of the group, in an example embodiment the entire group        is suspended.    -   5. In the case of a single trusted account, feedback accrues to        that account. In the case of the may accrue lite accounts,        feedback accrues to each account individually.    -   6. When a minor becomes eligible, his/her lite account is        upgraded to a full account.

The case of using one trusted account and multiple peer-to-peer accountswill be used for clarity in the discussion that follows, but liteaccounts could be substituted.

A group of adults may choose to link their accounts together, forexample a husband and wife, or the executives and executive assistantsof a company. In this way a single identifiable selling or purchasingpoint may be established without having to share passwords, and withseparate identities for communication and auditing, and with fullauthority by everyone.

In an example embodiment, every operation in a transaction becomes anassignable role. Every role can be assigned to multiple peer-to-peer(e.g., Skype) accounts and the flow of the transaction can be automatedand assisted.

In a business that wishes to buy and sell on an electronic marketplace(e.g., eBay) as a single entity, the individual roles can be assigned tomany different peer-to-peer marketplace identities. An embodiment isillustrated, by way of example, in FIG. 3. For example, the CFO andexecutive assistant to the CFO have full administration and control overwho takes on which role, and take on ultimate financial responsibilityfor the eBay account. In an example embodiment, on the selling side, themarketing role can create new item descriptions, the operations role canupdate the number of items available, the sales role can set the priceand control which items are available for sale, the shipping andreceiving role can generate tracking numbers and ship items, theaccounts receivable role can generate invoices and send payment requests(e.g., PayPal requests). On the buying side, any employee can take onthe finding role to pick an item to buy, the authorizing manager roleapproves the purchase, the purchasing role negotiates the price with theseller's sales role, the shipping and receiving role tracks the item andtakes delivery, and the accounts payable role sends payment for theitem. Whatever process is used in a business for buying and selling, theindividual roles can be assigned via peer-to-peer (e.g., Skype)identities or groups which allow the correct communication pattern, andall roles relate to a single marketplace (e.g., eBay) identity. In thesimple case, many or all roles can be handled by the same peer-to-peeridentity.

Relative Reputation System and Buddy Rating

Buyers and sellers operating within a marketplace (e.g., eBay) or other,system may be rated based on a single global feedback score that isupdated after each transaction. Such reputation systems, while havinglimitations, typically work well in a central site (e.g., eBay). Howeverwhen one uses a P2P network (e.g., to do eCommerce or chat and socializewith buddies), the arbitrator role of the central site goes away.

For most people, their buddy list in a P2P social network is sufficientfor socializing but too small for trading transactions. As a result, inP2P social networks, item searches for eCommerce purposes may go beyondthe buddy list. An example embodiment provides a trust mechanism toprovide a measure of safety was respected transactions performed withina peer-to-peer network.

In an example embodiment, the reputation of a first node may beestablished based on the first node's position in a social networkrelative to that of a second node. Accordingly, in an exampleembodiment, “relative reputation” may be established as a function of,for example: the absolute reputation (e.g. eBay feedback score); thebuddy connection paths that exist between the two nodes; and theopinions that exist on each step of the connection path. Opinions may bebased on completed transactions, for example, and may also be categoryspecific. For example, the relative reputation of a node may verydepending upon whether the item being considered is a car, a game or aservice.

A centralized system feedback score (or other reputation information)(e.g., an eBay feedback score) would not be updated on a P2Ptransaction, so that traders on the centralized system would have aperceived advantage over purely P2P traders, deriving from their statusas actively trading Confirmed Registered Users at an establishedcentralized system more marketplace (e.g., eBay). This may provide anincentive for P2P traders to sign up for a centralized system and becomeactive traders there, and a mechanism for punishing inappropriate orillegal activity by disabling an account maintained at the centralizedsystem.

In an example embodiment, propagation of reputation information may beachieved in several ways. For example, an “explicit” approach may be tocreate a special protocol where messages are sent to establish therelative reputation between two points. Another “implicit” approach maybe to pass information along with all items and search query messagesthat tags the message with the opinion. A node may accordingly decidewhat policy it wishes to apply. At one end of the scale, a very trustingnode could pass on everything. The middle ground is not to pass onmessages taken from nodes where it does not have a positive experience.The other extreme is to never pass on messages from other people.Minimizing traffic may be a desirable policy on a low bandwidth network,for example.

In an example embodiment, after an each transaction with a buddy, a usercan rate the transaction as a positive or negative experience, or removethe buddy entirely. The user can also independently tag and rate thisbuddy's expertise in the transacting category. For example this woulddistinguish between someone providing Computer Technical SupportServices who was an expert in the subject of MacOS, from someone elsewho is more of an expert in Windows. The tag (MacOS) may be applied bythe consumer after the transaction, and can be shared with his socialnetwork. This allows other buyers to formulate searches thatspecifically seek out expert advice based on their friend's referrals.

In an example embodiment, when a user performs a search, it can goseveral levels deep into buddy lists and each path between the user andthe “end nodes” (e.g., buddies that are the furthest away) can be givena weight based on the reputations entered by everyone. If for instancethere are two paths to a seller, one two hops away and the other threehops away, with weights say 3 and 5 for the two hop and 3, 5 and 6 forthe three hop, then the items for this seller could have a relativereputations of 0.5*(7+3)/2+0.5*(2+5+5)/3, i.e. 4.5. The algorithm usedto calculate reputation may be a personal choice, in an exampleembodiment. Reputations can be additive or multiplicative, they can beweighted by distance or treat everyone equally, and the multiple pathsfrom buyer to seller can be accumulated or compared. A consistentopinion over multiple paths may be a good sign compared to wildlyvarying opinions, indicating a less consistent interaction style.

In an example embodiment, a buyer issues a search query message to anyor all of their buddies. In responding to an incoming query, a node canprovide a time stamped inventory list of item and seller identifiersthat match the query. When the buyer receives the inventory messages andselects an item of interest, they may be able to get the fulldescription of that item from multiple sources representing differentroutes from seller to buyer. Identical descriptions will have a commontimestamp, but tagged descriptions will have an additional more recenttimestamp. Accordingly, in one embodiment, all the variants arecollected, the most recent content timestamp is identified and all thetagged information is merged to thereby generate new version that isthen stored. Over time, popular items will migrate around the socialnetwork accumulating tags and a buyer can apply their own favoritealgorithm to the tag information to decide whether to make an offer onthe item.

In an example embodiment, new users start by trading with theirimmediate buddy list, and if they have verifiable purchasing ability(e.g., a PayPal account) they can also trade with P2P power sellersobtained from a central referral service.

Bad people and bad items may be shunned by this algorithm and are notpassed on or connected to. They may end up isolated and have greatdifficulty propagating their items into the wider social network.

In an example embodiment, covert marketplaces may be operated be aclosed circle of users. Detection of these marketplaces may be difficultunless the closed circle is broken by accident or infiltration. P2Pnetworks such (e.g., Skype) provide sufficient capability for covertmarketplaces to exist based on buddy groups, chat sessions and filetransfers. In an example embodiment, a P2P marktplace may not enable theprevention of the existence of such covert marketplaces, but such covertmarketplaces become somewhat easier to infiltrate since items are passedaround and cached automatically. Getting access to a single node wouldimplicate all the members of the closed circle if any illegal items werebeing traded. In addition, because the node may connected to a centralmarketplace (e.g., eBay) to get information (e.g., feedback ratings),and then log in to a P2P network, the presence and some information onthe activity of the node may be collected.

The architecture of a peer-to-peer trading platform client, according toan example embodiment, is illustrated in FIG. 1. A series of additionalfigures, FIGS. 4-13, provide further details regarding an exampleembodiment of a peer-to-peer trading platform, which may operate inconjunction with a central electronic trading platform (e.g., amarketplace or retail platform).

FIG. 4 illustrates an item listing process from the seller perspective,according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 5 illustrates a list item event flow, according to an exampleembodiment.

FIG. 6 illustrates an item search/retrieval process from the buyerperspective, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 7 illustrates a search item event flow, according to an exampleembodiment.

FIG. 8 illustrates a view item event flow, according to an exampleembodiment.

FIG. 9 illustrates an interconnectivity diagram showing the connectionsbetween functional components of an implementation, according to anexample embodiment.

FIG. 10 illustrates a peer-to-peer trading platform plug-in that mayreplace a central e-commerce browser, according to an exampleembodiment.

FIG. 11 illustrates a P2P trading platform message exchange protocol,according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 12 illustrates a messaging stack, according to an exampleembodiment.

FIG. 13 illustrates a message format, according to an exampleembodiment.

A number of the user interfaces, according to an example embodiment,which may be presented by a peer-to-peer trading platform clientapplication, are depicted in FIGS. 14-25. FIGS. 14-25 illustrate varioususer interface screen snapshots, according to an example embodiment.

FIG. 26 shows a diagrammatic representation of machine in the exampleform of a computer system 200 within which a set of instructions, forcausing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein, may be executed. In alternative embodiments, themachine operates as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g.,networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine mayoperate in the capacity of a server or a client machine in server-clientnetwork environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (ordistributed) network environment. The machine may be a personal computer(PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a Personal Digital Assistant(PDA), a cellular telephone, a web appliance, a network router, switchor bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions(sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by thatmachine. Further, while only a single machine is illustrated, the term“machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machines thatindividually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructionsto perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

The example computer system 200 includes a processor 202 (e.g., acentral processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU) orboth), a main memory 204 and a static memory 206, which communicate witheach other via a bus 208. The computer system 200 may further include avideo display unit 210 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or acathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system 200 also includes analphanumeric input device 212 (e.g., a keyboard), a user interface (UI)navigation device 214 (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit 216, a signalgeneration device 218 (e.g., a speaker) and a network interface device220.

The disk drive unit 216 includes a machine-readable medium 222 on whichis stored one or more sets of instructions and data structures (e.g.,software 224) embodying or utilized by any one or more of themethodologies or functions described herein. The software 224 may alsoreside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 204and/or within the processor 202 during execution thereof by the computersystem 200, the main memory 204 and the processor 202 also constitutingmachine-readable media.

The software 224 may further be transmitted or received over a network226 via the network interface device 220 utilizing any one of a numberof well-known transfer protocols (e.g., HTTP).

While the machine-readable medium 222 is shown in an example embodimentto be a single medium, the term “machine-readable medium” should betaken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralizedor distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) thatstore the one or more sets of instructions. The term “machine-readablemedium” shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable ofstoring, encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by themachine and that cause the machine to perform any one or more of themethodologies of the present invention, or that is capable of storing,encoding or carrying data structures utilized by or associated with sucha set of instructions. The term “machine-readable medium” shallaccordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to, solid-statememories, optical and magnetic media, and carrier wave signals.

Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described withreference to specific example embodiments, it will be evident thatvarious modifications and changes may be made to these embodimentswithout departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention.Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in anillustrative rather than a restrictive sense. The accompanying drawingsthat form a part hereof, show by way of illustration, and not oflimitation, specific embodiments in which the subject matter may bepracticed. The embodiments illustrated are described in sufficientdetail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the teachingsdisclosed herein. Other embodiments may be utilized and derivedtherefrom, such that structural and logical substitutions and changesmay be made without departing from the scope of this disclosure. ThisDetailed Description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense,and the scope of various embodiments is defined only by the appendedclaims, along with the full range of equivalents to which such claimsare entitled.

Such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be referred toherein, individually and/or collectively, by the term “invention” merelyfor convenience and without intending to voluntarily limit the scope ofthis application to any single invention or inventive concept if morethan one is in fact disclosed. Thus, although specific embodiments havebeen illustrated and described herein, it should be appreciated that anyarrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substitutedfor the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to coverany and all adaptations or variations of various embodiments.Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments notspecifically described herein, will be apparent to those of skill in theart upon reviewing the above description.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a network-based interaction environment including a plurality of peer-to-peer nodes being able to communicate directly with each other using a peer-to-peer protocol and a peer-to-peer client application, each peer-to-peer node of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes including a processor and a memory coupled to the processor for storing data related to persistent item information, wherein a network connection between at least two peer-to-peer nodes of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes is shared by another data transfer session; a first peer-to-peer client application to maintain persistent item information on at least one peer-to-peer node of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes, the persistent information being related to an item being offered in an e-commerce transaction by a first user of the first peer-to-peer client application, the first peer-to-peer client application further to authenticate the first user, the persistent information related to the item being offered in an e-commerce transaction by the first user being stored on a plurality of other peer-to-peer nodes; and a search engine on any of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes, the search engine including a filter to exclude search results from peer-to-peer nodes of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes that are not on a buddy list, search results produced by the search engine being cached on the at least one peer-to-peer node of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes, the cached search results being accessible to other peer-to-peer nodes of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes that are on the buddy list, the cached search results being related to items being offered in an e-commerce transaction by a plurality of users, the search engine enabling a search of peer-to-peer nodes on a buddy list without using a central search server.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the persistent item information is maintained on more than one peer-to-peer node of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes.
 3. The system of claim 1 wherein the bandwidth on the network connection is prioritized between a plurality of data transfer sessions.
 4. The system of claim 1 being further operable to authenticate the first user by accessing a trusted site.
 5. The system of claim 1 being further operable to certify the item being offered by the first user.
 6. The system of claim 1 being further operable to provide feedback to the first user regarding the item being offered by the first user.
 7. The system of claim 1 being further operable to encrypt information associated with the item being offered by the first user.
 8. The system of claim 1 being further operable to apply a digital signature to the information associated with the item being offered by the first user.
 9. A method comprising: providing a network-based interaction environment including a plurality of peer-to-peer nodes being able to communicate directly with each other using a peer-to-peer protocol and a peer-to-peer client application, wherein a network connection between at least two peer-to-peer nodes of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes is shared by another data transfer session; maintaining persistent item information using a first peer-to-peer client application on at least one peer-to-peer node of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes, the persistent information being related to an item being offered in an e-commerce transaction by a first user of the first peer-to-peer client application, the persistent information related to the item being offered in an e-commerce transaction by the first user being stored on a plurality of other peer-to-peer nodes; authenticating the first user; and providing a search engine on any of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes, the search engine including a filter to exclude search results from peer-to-peer nodes of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes that are not on a buddy list, search results produced by the search engine being cached on the at least one peer-to-peer node of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes, the cached search results being accessible to other peer-to-peer nodes of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes that are on the buddy list, the cached search results being related to items being offered in an e-commerce transaction by a plurality of users, the search engine enabling a search of peer-to-peer nodes on a buddy list without using a central search server.
 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the persistent item information is maintained on more than one peer-to-peer node of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes.
 11. The method of claim 9 wherein the bandwidth on the network connection is prioritized between a plurality of data transfer sessions.
 12. The method of claim 9 further including authenticating the first user by accessing a trusted site.
 13. The method of claim 9 further including certifying the item being offered by the first user.
 14. The method of claim 9 further including providing feedback to the first user regarding the item being offered by the first user.
 15. The method of claim 9 further including encrypting information associated with the item being offered by the first user.
 16. The method of claim 9 further including applying a digital signature to the information associated with the item being offered by the first user.
 17. An article of manufacture comprising a machine-readable medium having machine executable instructions embedded thereon, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to: enable network communication among a plurality of peer-to-peer nodes, the peer-to-peer nodes being able to communicate directly with each other using a peer-to-peer protocol and a peer-to-peer client application, wherein a network connection between at least two peer-to-peer nodes of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes is shared by another data transfer session; maintain persistent item information using a first peer-to-peer client application on at least one peer-to-peer node of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes, the persistent information being related to an item being offered in an e-commerce transaction by a first user of the first peer-to-peer client application, the persistent information related to the item being offered in an e-commerce transaction by the first user being stored on a plurality of other peer-to-peer nodes; authenticate the first user; and perform a search on any of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes, the search including a filter to exclude search results from peer-to-peer nodes of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes that are not on a buddy list, search results produced by the search engine being cached on the at least one peer-to-peer node of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes, the cached search results being accessible to other peer-to-peer nodes of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes that are on the buddy list, the cached search results being related to items being offered in an e-commerce transaction by a plurality of users, the search enabling a search of peer-to-peer nodes on a buddy list without using a central search server.
 18. The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 17 wherein the persistent item information is maintained on more than one peer-to-peer node of the plurality of peer-to-peer nodes.
 19. The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 17 wherein the bandwidth on the network connection is prioritized between a plurality of data transfer sessions.
 20. The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 17 being further operable to authenticate the first user by accessing a trusted site.
 21. The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 17 being further operable to certify the item being offered by the first user.
 22. The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 17 being further operable to provide feedback to the first user regarding the item being offered by the first user.
 23. The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 17 being further operable to encrypt information associated with the item being offered by the first user.
 24. The article of manufacture as claimed in claim 17 being further operable to apply a digital signature to the information associated with the item being offered by the first user. 